Video game developers are always looking for new ways to give players a more immersive experience. But with several motion-controlled systems widely available and a viable virtual reality headset in the works, what else could be done to make games seem more realistic? Sony may have an unexpected answer with a recent patent that describes a controller that changes temperature between hot and cold to match in-game actions. With the controller giving "temperature feedback," the idea is that players would be able to more closely feel what their character feels, from getting hit with a fireball to traveling through a blizzard.

Sony's new patent outlines plans for a "Temperature Feedback Motion Controller" and depicts what looks like a Playstation Move controller that's been outfitted with thermal pads around the grip to generate hot or cold temperatures. Though it doesn't mention any specific technology for heating or cooling on such a small scale, the patent does present a lot of ideas for how changing temperatures could be applied to video games.